Aerosol valve clip



Jan. 28, 1969 I R. J. DYKINGA 3,

AEROSOL VALVE CLIP Filed May 12, 1967 INVENTOk Richard I D ykzhg'a BY WM ATTORbYS United States Patent 3,424,354 AEROSOL VALVE CLIP Richard J. Dykinga, Miami, Fla, assignor to Pet Chemicals, Inc., Miami, Fla. Filed May 12, 1967, Ser. No. 637,964 US. Cl. ZZZ-402.14

2 Claims Int. Cl. B65d 83/14; F16k 31/44, 21/04 ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to a hold-down clip for an aerosol can.

Various devices are used for operating the valve of an aerosol can so that the contents of the can can be intermittently dispensed. The clips are ordinarily used for tilting a valve to open it and clips of this type are shown in the patents to Gable, No. 2,941,700; Burmeister, No. 3,107,827; and Messmer, No. 3,154,223. Such clips are limited to an intermittent manual dispensing of the aerosol can contents and not for permanent attachment to the can while the entire cotnents of the can are dispensed in one operation.

Under some circumstances, as in the fumigating of a house, it is desirable to hold the aerosol can valve open while the entire contents of the can are dispensed. A clip for accomplishing this must be furnished along with the can. When a toxic substance is being dispensed, it is undesirable for a person to remain in the room for manually holding the valve open.

The object of this invention is to produce a hold-down clip for opening the valve of an aerosol can and which clip is of such size that it can be packaged and shipped with the aerosol can.

In general, these objects are obtained by forming a generally triangular clip which is of such size that it can be contained within the cap for the aerosol can without opening the valve and therefore can be shipped with the can. The clip has flanges which can be jammed into contact with the beaded edge of the neck of the can so as to to open the valve and hold the valve open without further manual assistance while the contents of the can are completely dispensed.

The means by which the objects of the invention are obtained are described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side view of the aerosol can with the cap shown in cross-section;

FIGURE 2 is a plan view of the hold-down clip;

FIGURE 3 is a bottom view of the clip;

FIGURE 4 is a side view of the clip;

FIGURE 5 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 55 of FIGURE 2; and

FIGURE 6 is a side view partially in cross-section of the clip in hold-down position on the can.

As shown in FIGURES 1 and 6, the aerosol can 10 has a circular neck 12 which has a mouth closed by a valve fitting 14 having a rounded beaded edge 16 including an inner concave circumferential portion 17. An aerosol valve 18 of conventional construction is mounted in the fitting 14 and has a vertically movable valve nozzle head 20. The valve head 20 is closed when in raised position. Pushing the valve head downwardly opens the valve head to dispense the contents of the can. The can is provided with a cap 22 which, during shipment of the can, is gripped to the beaded edge 16.

The hold-down clip 30 is composed of thin metal or plastic and has a generally triangular top 32 having a rearwardly extending portion 34 and an upwardly flanged portion 36 surrounding an elongated opening 38.

Extending downwardly from the top 32 are a pair of flanges 40 and 42. The lower forward corners of these flanges have toes 44 and 46 which project beyond the top 32. Extending downwardly from the rear side of the top portion 34 is a third flange 48 in which is a substantially semi-circular opening 50. The flanges 40 and 42 give a vertical stiffness to the clip while at the same time they can be slightly flexed toward each other in order to be insertable within the beaded edge 16 as later described. Likewise, the rearward top portion 34 permits the back third flange 48 to be flexed outwardly in order to be forced over the outer circumferential portion of edge 16 while still retaining vertical stilfness.

As shown in FIGURE 1, the overall size of the clip 30 is such that it can be enclosed within the cap 22 without touching the valve head 20. The lower edge 49 of the rear flange 48 bears on the top of beaded edge 16 while the toes 44 and 46 rest on the diametrically opposite portion of the beaded edge. The clip is so confined within the cap that it cant move sidewise and therefore cannot be pushed down into opening contact with the valve head 20.

In use, the cap 22 is first pulled off and after removing the clip 30 is discarded. The clip is then tilted and manually pushed to insert the toes 44 and 46 under the inner circumferential portion 17 of the beaded edge 16 as shown in FIGURE 6. The back portion 34 of the top is then manually pushed downwardly so that the back flange 48 is pressed over and frictionally engaged by the outer circumferential portion of the beaded edge 16. Flanges 40 and 42 extend within edge 16. This downward movement causes the valve head to be engaged by the underside of the flange 36 so that the valve head is pushed downwardly to open the valve. The contents of the can thus escape through the opening 38 in the clip and are discharged into the atmosphere. The positive engagement of the toes 44 and 46 with the beaded edge and the pressed fit of the rear flange 48 on the beaded edge are sufiicient to hold the clip in hold-down position without further manual pressure and thus to keep the valve open while the entire contents of the can are exhausted. The advantages of having a clip which can be packaged and shipped with the aerosol can so that it can later be used as a manually applied clip for permanently holding open the aerosol can nozzle valve.

Having now described the means by which the objects of the invention are obtained,

I claim:

1. In the combination comprising an aerosol can, a cap on said can, and a clip within said cap, the improvement comprising a neck on said can, a beaded edge around the mouth of said neck, vertically movable valve means in said mouth for the vertical dispersion of the cotnents in the can, said clip having an approximately triangular top, an opening in said top for the passage of the contents from the can, a pair of flanges depending from said top and fittable within the inner circumferential portion of said beaded edge, toes on said pair of flanges for engagement with said inner circumferential portion, a third flange depending from said top and spaced from said toes a distance less than the diameter of said beaded edge, and said clip being enclosed in said cap without opening said valve means.

2. A hold-down clip for opening the nozzle valve of References Cited an aerosol can comprising an integral top having an open- UNITED STATES PATENTS ing therethrough and having a rearward portion, a flange surrounding said opening, a pair of side flanges depend- 34301144 2/1967 Beres at 222402-14 XR ing from said top, outwardly projecting toes on the lower corners of said pair of flanges, a third flange depending 5 FOREIGN PATENTS from said rearward portion, said pair of flanges being 97 9 r a B a nflexible toward each other and said third flange being out- I wardly flexible. WALTER SOBIN, Primary Examiner. 

